From the Worldwide Faith News archives www.wfn.org
Topic: Priest Describes Assault by Israeli Settlers
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JerusalemRelOrgs@aol.com
Date
27 Nov 2000 17:23:29
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Topic: PRIEST DESCRIBES ASSAULT BY ISRAELI SETTLERS
Contact:
Fr. Raed Awad Abussahlin
The Latin (Catholic) Patriarchate of Jerusalem
(972-2) 628-2323
Email: latinpat@actcom.co.il
Website: http://members.nbci.com/nonviolence/Raed/Olive/Branches.html
or Contact:=20
Catholic World News=20
editor@cwnews.com=20
Web page at http://www.cwnews.com.
By Michael Hirst & Nicholas Jubber
RAMALLAH, Israel-occupied West Bank, Nov. 22, 00 (CWNews.com) --=A0=20
"You must leave now: They are going to bomb Ramallah." =20
In the small offices of the Latin Patriarchate Schools, these were familiar=20
words.=20
Employees grabbed their belongings and headed out, numbed into=20
nonchalance by the recurring threats to their security and property.=20
The city--whose outskirts are lined with the villas of cabinet members of=20
the Palestinian Authority, set close by the large grey concrete buildings in=
=20
which Yasser Arafat meets his ministers and delegates--has become=20
synonymous with violence. Every day, its inhabitants live in expectation=20
of air-strikes and missile attacks, waiting for the dull drone of the Apache=
=20
gunships from the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) that act as a signal to shut=20
up shop and stay indoors.=20
On international news broadcasts, the images of Islamic chants and=20
heavily masked demonstrators give the impression that Ramallah is a=20
refuge for Islamic fundamentalists. It is not. With 10,000 faithful and a=20
municipal protocol that stipulates that the mayor must be a Christian, this=20
is a traditionally Christian city.
The parish priest for the 1,500- 2,000 Roman Catholics in Ramallah,=20
Father Ibrahim Hijazin, is a respected figure in the city. His confidence in=
=20
the possibility of peace spurred him to initiate a "Peace Education=20
Program" in the Latin Patriarchate School which he runs here. When we=20
met him, he spoke proudly, but also sadly (in the light of recent events)=20
about his project.=20
"We are the first school in Palestine to have meetings=20
with Israeli students and teachers," he said of a program, which began=20
five years ago. "We have had many meetings with Israeli schools about=20
the peace process, the environment and water resources, as well as games=20
like basketball. But when our students see the killing on TV, how can we=20
teach and convince them of a real peace with Israelis--who they think=20
are killing their people and taking their land?"=20
The frustration which Father Ibrahim feels is reflected in the faces and=20
speeches of his teachers and students, as well as their parents. A few=20
hundred yards away, young children are collecting stones around the=20
wreck of a burnt-out bus, while IDF soldiers protected by heavily=20
armored jeeps load their M16s in preparation for the afternoon's conflict.=20
In this atmosphere, it is easy to despair--even more so for Father=20
Ibrahim, who has himself been the victim of aggression.=20
The incident, at he recalled it, developed in this way:
Father Ibrahim was driving back to Ramallah from nearby Nablus, where=20
he had been conducting services. As always, he used the main road=20
between the two towns. At about 6:20 he was stopped by a group of=20
between 45 and 50 Israelis from the nearby settlement of Shilo, who=20
were blocking the road. They were middle-aged, dressed in civilian=20
clothes, the men brandishing machine-guns while the women placed=20
boulders strategically on the road to halt oncoming traffic. As the priest=20
brought his vehicle to a halt, a well-dressed man addressed him: "What is=20
your business here?"
"I am a Catholic priest," he replied, "returning to my parish from religious=
=20
services in Nablus." (He was dressed in cassock and clerical collar.) When=
=20
asked for his papers, he produced his Vatican passport, at which one of=20
the men scoffed before throwing it back into the car. The leader shrugged=20
and stated, "You can't use this road; it is for Israelis only. Go back."
"But I used it only hours ago. I always use it; it's a main road," Father=20
Ibrahim replied. At this the leader levelled his gun at the priest's=A0head=
=20
and repeated that the road was for Jews only.=20
The people behind him were beginning to get angry, shouting and gesticulatin=
g=20
at the car. Father Ibrahim put the vehicle in reverse and attempted to turn=20
around. Behind=20
him, however, had gathered another group of some 30 younger settlers in=20
their mid-20s.=20
One of these approached the driver's side and said, "Shalom." Father Ibrahi=
m=20
replied, "Shalom," and was astonished to hear the breaking of glass from his=
=20
rear window. He looked back to see that the younger group had surrounded th=
e=20
car, were gathering stones and hurling them from as close as two or three=20
yards away. The attack continued until they had run out of stones, by which=
=20
time every window=20
of his vehicle had been smashed, every plate dented; he too had been=20
struck on the arm. He quickly put his car into gear and set off the way he=20
had come, in a state of severe shock.=20
At a nearby service station, the owners took one look at the condition of=20
the car and its driver, and called first the police, who refused to come,=20
and then the army, who did not come. As he was wondering what to do--=20
driving back to Nablus would be dangerous after dark, since he would=20
face the threat of another attack from other settlements; yet he could not=20
risk returning to the blockade--an Arab taxi drove past, in too much of a=20
hurry to give any assistance. =20
A quarter of an hour later, however, the cab returned, its elderly driver an=
d=20
his vehicle having received much the same treatment as Father Ibrahim and th=
e=20
Volkswagen Passatt.=20
The driver informed Father Ibrahim that he knew a back road to Ramallah, so=20
the priest followed him slowly back to his parish.=20
The next day, Father Ibrahim visited the police station in Jerusalem. The=20
officers there redirected him to offices in Beit El, where he filled in=20
numerous forms and complained to the officer in charge that, by law, he=20
should be compensated by the government for this attack.=20
"I'm sorry," shrugged the policeman. Israeli laws stipulate that the=20
government=20
should pay compensatation for damages done by Palestininans, but not by=20
Israeli citizens.=20
"If you want to take this matter any further," said the police officer, "you=
=20
will have to go to Shilo and sue these people yourself."=20
The priest threw the papers on the desk in disgust, and left. The 10,0000=20
shekel ($2,500) bill for repairs to his vehicle was paid by the Latin=20
patriarchate, out of funds which had been raised abroad to be spent on=20
schools, housing projects, and other needs of the local Church.
This is not the only time Father Ibrahim has felt the threat of violence. H=
e=20
has had guns pointed at his head, and his Vatican passport does little to=20
curry favour with Israeli officialdom. =20
Once, he was travelling in a car with a group comprising both Christians and=
=20
Muslims. Soldiers stopped the car and ordered the Christians to dismount=20
while the Muslims stayed inside the vehicle. "This was to divide the Muslim=
s=20
and Christians," the priest observed. He was the first in line to dismount,=
=20
but refused, saying, "Either=20
we all get down or we all stay inside." Consequently, he was made to wait=20
in the street for four hours.=20
In the light of such experiences, it is understandable that Father Ibrahim=20
feels: "Israel has no respect for anybody, only for its own benefits. Stil=
l=20
he=20
also stresses that "the Jews are human beings like us."
Father Ibrahim is now working to bring about peace without violence. The=20
Church Council of Ramallah, in which the Christian denominations sit=20
together, has organized demonstrations in which the parishes pray and=20
march alongside each other with candles, singing songs of peace. They=20
have been joined by many Muslims, who feel solidarity with their=20
compatriots. =20
But Father Ibrahim is under no false illusions, and does not=20
expect peace overnight. "Worse is to come for all the Palestinian people,"=20
he fears. "Maybe soon we will have no food, no water, no electricity."=20
In a country whose economy is losing $200 million a day, this is a=20
frightening prospect. But Father Ibrahim retains his conviction of peace:=20
he hopes there will be "real peace, the baby of justice." He adds a final=20
note: "Without justice, we'll never find peace."
-End-
--part1_8f.380b7a6.2754629b_boundary
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Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
<HTML><BODY BGCOLOR=3D"#ffffff"><FONT SIZE=3D2>Topic: PRIEST DESCRIBES ASSA=
ULT BY ISRAELI SETTLERS
<BR>
<BR>Contact:
<BR>Fr. Raed Awad Abussahlin
<BR>The Latin (Catholic) Patriarchate of Jerusalem
<BR>(972-2) 628-2323
<BR>Email: latinpat@actcom.co.il
<BR>Website: http://members.nbci.com/nonviolence/Raed/Olive/Branches.html
<BR>
<BR>or Contact:=20
<BR>Catholic World News=20
<BR>editor@cwnews.com=20
<BR>Web page at http://www.cwnews.com.
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>By Michael Hirst & Nicholas Jubber
<BR>
<BR>RAMALLAH, Israel-occupied West Bank, Nov. 22, 00 (CWNews.com) --=A0=20
<BR>"You must leave now: They are going to bomb Ramallah."
<BR>
<BR>In the small offices of the Latin Patriarchate Schools, these were famil=
iar <BR>words.=20
<BR>Employees grabbed their belongings and headed out, numbed into=20
<BR>nonchalance by the recurring threats to their security and property.=20
<BR>
<BR>The city--whose outskirts are lined with the villas of cabinet members o=
f=20
<BR>the Palestinian Authority, set close by the large grey concrete building=
s in=20
<BR>which Yasser Arafat meets his ministers and delegates--has become=20
<BR>synonymous with violence. Every day, its inhabitants live in expec=
tation=20
<BR>of air-strikes and missile attacks, waiting for the dull drone of the Ap=
ache=20
<BR>gunships from the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) that act as a signal to sh=
ut=20
<BR>up shop and stay indoors.=20
<BR>
<BR>On international news broadcasts, the images of Islamic chants and=20
<BR>heavily masked demonstrators give the impression that Ramallah is a=20
<BR>refuge for Islamic fundamentalists. It is not. With 10,000 f=
aithful and a=20
<BR>municipal protocol that stipulates that the mayor must be a Christian, t=
his=20
<BR>is a traditionally Christian city.
<BR>
<BR>The parish priest for the 1,500- 2,000 Roman Catholics in Ramallah,=20
<BR>Father Ibrahim Hijazin, is a respected figure in the city. His confidenc=
e in=20
<BR>the possibility of peace spurred him to initiate a "Peace Education=20
<BR>Program" in the Latin Patriarchate School which he runs here. When=
we=20
<BR>met him, he spoke proudly, but also sadly (in the light of recent events=
)=20
<BR>about his project.=20
<BR>
<BR>"We are the first school in Palestine to have meetings=20
<BR>with Israeli students and teachers," he said of a program, which began=20
<BR>five years ago. "We have had many meetings with Israeli schools ab=
out=20
<BR>the peace process, the environment and water resources, as well as games=
=20
<BR>like basketball. But when our students see the killing on TV, how=20=
can we=20
<BR>teach and convince them of a real peace with Israelis--who they think=20
<BR>are killing their people and taking their land?"=20
<BR>
<BR>The frustration which Father Ibrahim feels is reflected in the faces and=
=20
<BR>speeches of his teachers and students, as well as their parents. A=
few=20
<BR>hundred yards away, young children are collecting stones around the=20
<BR>wreck of a burnt-out bus, while IDF soldiers protected by heavily=20
<BR>armored jeeps load their M16s in preparation for the afternoon's conflic=
t.=20
<BR>In this atmosphere, it is easy to despair--even more so for Father=20
<BR>Ibrahim, who has himself been the victim of aggression.=20
<BR>
<BR>The incident, at he recalled it, developed in this way:
<BR>
<BR>Father Ibrahim was driving back to Ramallah from nearby Nablus, where=20
<BR>he had been conducting services. As always, he used the main road=20
<BR>between the two towns. At about 6:20 he was stopped by a group of=20
<BR>between 45 and 50 Israelis from the nearby settlement of Shilo, who=20
<BR>were blocking the road. They were middle-aged, dressed in civilian=20
<BR>clothes, the men brandishing machine-guns while the women placed=20
<BR>boulders strategically on the road to halt oncoming traffic. As th=
e priest=20
<BR>brought his vehicle to a halt, a well-dressed man addressed him: "What i=
s=20
<BR>your business here?"
<BR>
<BR>"I am a Catholic priest," he replied, "returning to my parish from relig=
ious=20
<BR>services in Nablus." (He was dressed in cassock and clerical colla=
r.) When=20
<BR>asked for his papers, he produced his Vatican passport, at which one of=20
<BR>the men scoffed before throwing it back into the car. The leader s=
hrugged=20
<BR>and stated, "You can't use this road; it is for Israelis only. Go back."
<BR>
<BR>"But I used it only hours ago. I always use it; it's a main road,"=
Father=20
<BR>Ibrahim replied. At this the leader levelled his gun at the priest=
's=A0head=20
<BR>and repeated that the road was for Jews only.=20
<BR>
<BR>The people behind him were beginning to get angry, shouting and gesticul=
ating <BR>at the car. Father Ibrahim put the vehicle in reverse and attempte=
d to turn <BR>around. Behind=20
<BR>him, however, had gathered another group of some 30 younger settlers in=20
<BR>their mid-20s.=20
<BR>
<BR>One of these approached the driver's side and said, "Shalom." Fath=
er Ibrahim <BR>replied, "Shalom," and was astonished to hear the breaking of=
glass from his <BR>rear window. He looked back to see that the younge=
r group had surrounded the <BR>car, were gathering stones and hurling them f=
rom as close as two or three <BR>yards away. The attack continued unti=
l they had run out of stones, by which <BR>time every window=20
<BR>of his vehicle had been smashed, every plate dented; he too had been=20
<BR>struck on the arm. He quickly put his car into gear and set off th=
e way he=20
<BR>had come, in a state of severe shock.=20
<BR>
<BR>At a nearby service station, the owners took one look at the condition o=
f=20
<BR>the car and its driver, and called first the police, who refused to come=
,=20
<BR>and then the army, who did not come. As he was wondering what to d=
o--=20
<BR>driving back to Nablus would be dangerous after dark, since he would=20
<BR>face the threat of another attack from other settlements; yet he could n=
ot=20
<BR>risk returning to the blockade--an Arab taxi drove past, in too much of=20=
a=20
<BR>hurry to give any assistance.
<BR>
<BR>A quarter of an hour later, however, the cab returned, its elderly drive=
r and <BR>his vehicle having received much the same treatment as Father Ibra=
him and the <BR>Volkswagen Passatt.=20
<BR>
<BR>The driver informed Father Ibrahim that he knew a back road to Ramallah,=
so=20
<BR>the priest followed him slowly back to his parish.=20
<BR>
<BR>The next day, Father Ibrahim visited the police station in Jerusalem. &n=
bsp;The=20
<BR>officers there redirected him to offices in Beit El, where he filled in=20
<BR>numerous forms and complained to the officer in charge that, by law, he=20
<BR>should be compensated by the government for this attack.=20
<BR>
<BR>"I'm sorry," shrugged the policeman. Israeli laws stipulate that t=
he <BR>government=20
<BR>should pay compensatation for damages done by Palestininans, but not by=20
<BR>Israeli citizens.=20
<BR>
<BR>"If you want to take this matter any further," said the police officer,=20=
"you <BR>will have to go to Shilo and sue these people yourself."=20
<BR>
<BR>The priest threw the papers on the desk in disgust, and left. The=20=
10,0000=20
<BR>shekel ($2,500) bill for repairs to his vehicle was paid by the Latin=20
<BR>patriarchate, out of funds which had been raised abroad to be spent on=20
<BR>schools, housing projects, and other needs of the local Church.
<BR>
<BR>This is not the only time Father Ibrahim has felt the threat of violence=
. He=20
<BR>has had guns pointed at his head, and his Vatican passport does little t=
o=20
<BR>curry favour with Israeli officialdom.
<BR>
<BR>Once, he was travelling in a car with a group comprising both Christians=
and <BR>Muslims. Soldiers stopped the car and ordered the Christians=20=
to dismount <BR>while the Muslims stayed inside the vehicle. "This was=
to divide the Muslims <BR>and Christians," the priest observed. He wa=
s the first in line to dismount, <BR>but refused, saying, "Either=20
<BR>we all get down or we all stay inside." Consequently, he was made=20=
to wait=20
<BR>in the street for four hours.=20
<BR>
<BR>In the light of such experiences, it is understandable that Father Ibrah=
im=20
<BR>feels: "Israel has no respect for anybody, only for its own benefits. &n=
bsp; Still <BR>he=20
<BR>also stresses that "the Jews are human beings like us."
<BR>
<BR>Father Ibrahim is now working to bring about peace without violence. &nb=
sp;The <BR>Church Council of Ramallah, in which the Christian denominations=20=
sit=20
<BR>together, has organized demonstrations in which the parishes pray and=20
<BR>march alongside each other with candles, singing songs of peace. T=
hey=20
<BR>have been joined by many Muslims, who feel solidarity with their=20
<BR>compatriots.
<BR>
<BR>But Father Ibrahim is under no false illusions, and does not=20
<BR>expect peace overnight. "Worse is to come for all the Palestinian=20=
people,"=20
<BR>he fears. "Maybe soon we will have no food, no water, no electrici=
ty."=20
<BR>
<BR>In a country whose economy is losing $200 million a day, this is a=20
<BR>frightening prospect. But Father Ibrahim retains his conviction of=
peace:=20
<BR>he hopes there will be "real peace, the baby of justice." He adds=20=
a final=20
<BR>note: "Without justice, we'll never find peace."
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>-End-</FONT></HTML>
--part1_8f.380b7a6.2754629b_boundary--
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